Dear Stakeholders,

The NSW Greyhound Racing Industry Alliance welcomed the Governments confirmation that it will today repeal the legislation to ban greyhound racing in NSW.

The industry has willingly committed to best practice animal welfare standards, total lifecycle management for all greyhounds and stronger regulation and is confident of a positive future.

We are genuinely committed to stronger regulation and world leading animal welfare standards for the good of our industry into the future, said Mr Brenton Scott, Chief Executive, NSW Greyhound Breeders, Owners and Trainers Association (GBOTA). Thousands of greyhound owners, breeders and trainers across NSW plus employees of the industry are now relieved and hopeful about their future and the future of the industry.

As well as an uncompromising approach to best practice animal welfare standards, the Reform Panels recommendations include the separation of the regulatory and commercial functions overseeing this industry, and the formation of an integrity commission.

The sole Greyhound Racing Industry Reform Panel recommendation which was not supported by the NSW Government was Recommendation 3, with the position rather:
"GRNSW should be reconstituted as an independent statutory body corporate with commercial objectives similar to a state owned corporation and with a social objective regarding animal welfare."

The new regime will involve significant establishment and ongoing costs and the NSW Government has committed to $41 million of financial support over the next five years. This will comprise $11 million for the integrity commission and $30 million for greyhound welfare, safety and racing initiatives.

We acknowledge the financial support and the opportunity to partner with the Government in the costs associated with the implementation of the Reform Panel recommendations. However, it does fall short of our needs to achieve best practice reform, and doesnt deal with the lack of equity in the current recurrent funding model.

The NSW greyhound industry currently subsidises the thoroughbred and harness racing codes by in excess of $23 million per year. Clearly this is not sustainable for the long term and, as such, the true costs of reform and a fair funding model are matters that we will continue to address with the NSW Government within the parliamentary process.

We have proposed several options to Government to address this, all of which provide the industry with the funding required to retain its regional footprint and economic contribution while implementing the reform initiatives. Our endeavours in this regard will be maintained with appropriate vigour.

Participants are encouraged to review the associated documentation to today's announcement, including:
NSW Government Media Release
Government response to recommendations
Fact Sheet and Summary of reforms are also available on NSW Department of Justice website: EXTERNAL LINK
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers response: EXTERNAL LINK

The Alliance understands that Racing Minister Paul Toole, will today, March 28, present the Greyhound Racing Bill 2017 into NSW Parliament. Details of the Bill are updated on the NSW Parliament website, which can also be watched on the Parliament webcast EXTERNAL LINK

Yours sincerely,

Communication Team
NSW Greyhound Racing Industry Alliance

for all the monkeys LMFAO

Noel

$41m over 5 years starting from July1.
Taxation to be reviewed in 2020

While we acknowledge the above it does fall short of our needs to achieve the necessary reform, and doesnt deal with the lack of equity in the current recurrent funding model.
But we have come out of this in a much better position that we were in prior to 2015 and in a significantly better position that we were in 8 months ago.
We will work feverishly to improve our funding model and push forward towards getting our "Fair Share" of taxation in 2020.
Lets race.

Kevin

My way of thinking is WHAT THE GOVERNMENT GIVES,IT WILL TAKE BACK

Yeh lets race,lol

Fall short is an understatement Kevin Gordon, IMO the Alliance and GBOTA have failed "DISMALLY".

Vote them out I tell you.

Paul Toole, Troy Grant...the lot. They've let us down.

So let me get this straight ....

YOU say:

" ... While we acknowledge the above it does fall short of our needs to achieve the necessary reform, and doesnt deal with the lack of equity in the current recurrent funding model...."

BUT YOU and the GBOTA / ALLIANCE are PLEASED with the outcome?

What am I missing here??? Do tell!

I mean, what's a few TENS OF MILLIONS of a SHORTFALL in funding, between "friends", right?!

Far out, you guys take the cake!!!!

Go pat yourselves on the back. Heck, throw a big celebration party at Wenty, so you can all say to each other how wonderfully you've done.

Meanwhile, the rest of the participants are (or should be) literally crapping themselves as to how this is likely to unfold, and AFFECT US ALL!

Glenn's right about seeking "retribution at the polls".

But here's another one to throw out there:

How about all you GBOT folks put your positions on the line, and see how many get the support of the good folks of NSW.

If they put most of your lot back in, they deserve what's coming. If not, they might show you the door, and hopefully replace you all with people who want to DEFEND and STAND UP TO THE TYRANTS that have tried (unsuccessfully, until now at least) to shut us down.

Your (and The Alliance's) self-serving statements say all we need to know.

YOU WHOLLY SUPPORT THIS NEW REGIME.

May God have mercy on all our poor souls ...

Sadly only one of many, Mark. I am flabbergasted!

the good people in the greyhound industry have been VINDICATED today

What a mouth full of BS

Well that's what a DUD would say.
The ABC got Arnold Schwarzenegger
The GBOTA got Danny Devito

So remind me again, WHO is coughing up these untold millions of dollars per year to PAY FOR these "REFORMS" that you good folks in NSW are now being lumbered with? EXACTLY WHERE is the money to come from???

No doubt they'll be released to the media in a few days ... that'll be straight after he picks himself up off the floor from laughing so hysterically for a couple of days about the "result".

I doubt he could have orchestrated it much better if he tried. Or then again .... and now come to think about it ...

Let's not turn on them...turn on the govt. they are the ones that keep letting us down.

We have one party in parliament saying they are going to keep fighting to get us more money, They are the Shooters, Fishers & Farmers Party. They will have representatives at the Bathurst electorate & the Dubbo electorate in 2019. These are Paul Toole & Troy Grants seats. These two are vulnerable seats, and if we vote in the SFF we know they will be on our side.

More seats equals more clout, my suggestion is go join their party as a supporter & vote accordingly when the time comes. Revenge is a dish best served cold.

Glenn lets not forget that this industry has been let down by appalling governance for decades, the NCA well there is absolutely nothing good to say about them and the GBOTA lost its Compass years ago.